Moments
by lyndseysmeltzer
Summary: A series of one-shots, a moment or scene from each episode from a certain character's perspective. (Probably Beckett most of the time.) I will try to make some non-obvious scene choices, but no guarantees. (Disclaimer, I do not own Castle or the characters, that's Marlowe's cross to bear)
1. Flowers For Your Grave

Kate stood in the alley watching the boys try to take a statement from Harrison Tisdale. He wasn't talking, but that didn't matter anymore; they had the contents of his shredder, not to mention at least something of a confession in front of a detective.

He cleared his throat behind her and she turned to face him.

"Well, guess this is it." Was all she could think to say.

"It doesn't have to be. We could, uh, go to dinner, debrief each other." The innuendo was not lost on Kate, and the image swam in her mind for a second, making her smile.

"Why Castle? So I can be another one of your conquests?" She raised her eyebrows at him, knowing that was exactly what he wanted.

"Or I could be one of yours." His smile was so adorable that she wanted to consider it; actually, what she _really_ wanted to do was kiss it right off his face. If she was honest with herself, a night with this man did sound rather enticing, but she wasn't a one-night stand kind of girl. And yeah, okay, maybe it was a little bit out of spite, but she refused to simply be a notch on his bedpost.

"It was nice to meet you, Castle." And it had been, though she much preferred him as ink. She extended her hand and he took it, and the rejection, gracefully, but not without comment.

"It's too bad; it would've been great." Kate had no doubt, and she just couldn't resist the chance to wipe the smirk off his face after that zinger. She leaned in close, almost cheek to cheek, and whispered in his ear.

"You have no idea." She smiled knowingly before turning her back on him, and then she walked away with a little extra saunter, just to give him something to remember her by.

* * *

Rick walked up behind Kate in the alley, not missing the opportunity to appraise her without consequence, and cleared his throat. When she turned there was a second before she spoke in which Rick was blown away, for the umpteenth time since meeting her, by just how beautiful she was.

"Well, I guess this is it."

"It doesn't have to be." He said, knowing it would be, but not going down without a fight, because she was _definitely_ worth a fight. "We could, uh, go to dinner, debrief each other." He knew the innuendo was low, nevertheless, he couldn't resist. The smile on her face was condescending, but he loved it anyway, and at least she hadn't slapped him, yet.

"Why Castle? So I can be another one of your conquests?"

"Or I could be one of yours." Truth be told he knew this woman would never be any man's conquest, and was worth much more than that, was probably worth everything, but he didn't let that show. If all she wanted was one night with him, well, he wouldn't be complaining. He watched her as she seemed to consider, not daring to hope and desperately trying not to drop his gaze to her mouth.

"It was nice to meet you, Castle." He took her hand, wondering if he would ever be good enough for a woman like her. He couldn't stop himself from making one last comment though, even if it was asinine.

"It's too bad; it would've been great." He smiled and almost fell apart when she bit her bottom lip. _God_ she was sexy.

She stepped close, too close. Close enough that he could feel the heat from her cheek on his. And when she spoke, he felt her breath on his ear.

"You have no idea." His stomach disappeared and he had to suppress a shudder as she leaned away, smiling at him suggestively. She turned her back on him and Rick desperately wanted to reach out for her, pull her back in and find out exactly what that meant, but he as frozen in place. All he could do was watch her walk away and smile to himself, an idea forming in his mind where only cobwebs had resided for months now.

**A/N: **My plan is to try to do a one-shot for each episode, ideally I'l like to get all 105 current episodes done before season 6 airs, but with my schedule that's doubtful. I will try though. None of them will be very long, but hopefully they'll all be satisfyingThey won't all be exactly like this. Most of them probably won't have both Beckett and Castle's perspective, and I WILL try to pick some less obvious scenes, but this one just had to be done.

Please, please, please review, send me PMs whatever, good or bad (especially if you think something is OOC because I would really like to know, seriously, you'd be doing me a favor). If you think this is a terrible idea, or I'm terrible at it, please say so. Compliments are of course always welcome, but if you're still reading this terribly long note, than you deserve the compliment, so thank you.


	2. Nanny McDead

**A/N:** First, thank you to anybody who reviewed/followed/favorited. It means a lot to me. Now, this second chapter is super short because, in my opinion, 1x02 doesn't have a ton of subtext material, but hopefully you'll like it anyway. I'm hoping that as I go on, there will be more material for me to write, and we all know the subtext only gets thicker, so if you'll excuse me these first few. Again, review please. Now enjoy! (This scene is when they go to the park to find Chloe, the other nanny and start talking about marriage.)

"What?" Castle was looking at her, confused. She wondered what her face looked like.

"Nothing. I just never figured you for Mr. Mom." Wow, did she really just call him 'Mr. Mom'?

"Some of the best days of my life." His voice was devoid of sarcasm, and Kate could tell that he was telling the truth. His face changed when he talked about his daughter. It was endearing.

"It's actually kinda nice." For once he wasn't being the wisecracking jackass. Sincerity suited him, she thought, but then he ruined it.

"Tell me about it. Do you know how many lonely single mothers there are on a Manhattan playground?" She gave him a look of disdain that he ignored. "And there I was, between marriages." It was almost as if he was proud of that fact. She was curious, so she asked.

"Exactly how may times have you been married Castle?" In truth, she had always steered clear of that particular section of his About Me page on his fan site.

"Twice."

"That's it?" Somehow she'd figured that number might have been higher, bust she surprised herself by being glad it wasn't. Why did she even care?

"Isn't that enough? How 'bout you?"

"Me? No never been." Kate did not like where this was headed.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"You'd be good at it. You're both controlling and disapproving. You should really try it." _Of course_, she thought, _that _would_ be his interpretation on wives_. For a second she thought that he just hadn't found the right woman yet, but that led down a dangerous path, s she pushed it aside.

"I'm not an 'if at first you don't succeed' kind of girl, Castle. When it comes to marriage I'm more of a one and don type." Why was she telling him this?

"Hmm, any serious candidates?" Castle was looking at her intently and she wasn't sure of his motive for asking. Was this about his book, or was he genuinely interested? Either way Kate really didn't want to answer that particular question. Her love life was private, and she definitely wasn't going to spill everything to him just so he could drudge it up to lend an emotional side to his character, not that she didn't want whatever character he was writing to have an emotional angle, just not one that ripped her privacy to shreds.

She looked around desperately for some distraction, any way to get out of answering the question. That's when she saw the red vest they were looking for.


	3. Hell Hath No Fury

**A/N:** Okay, so updating really quickly because I already have this written; this is again a pretty obvious Baby Caskett scene, but it's adorable so I did it from both perspectives. (This is the end scene at the _Storm Fall_ launch)

Kate sauntered into the bookstore just in time for the end of Castle's reading. She'd already read _Storm Fall_ twice, so she knew the passage, though she'd never admit that to anyone.

"'Good, she thought, as the wind gathered up her hair,'" She heard Castle read as she neared the back of the group of fans assembled. It did not escape her notice that the gathering was mostly women, but she put that out of her mind as she worked her way through the crowd as he continued.

"'No on,'" Castle's flawless cadence faltered when his eyes found her, which was exactly what she'd been going for.

Keeping steady eye contact, Kate let her jacket fall off her shoulders, drinking in the dumbstruck look on Castle's face. His eyes never left hers, but somehow he managed to finish his reading, albeit with much less attention to what he was saying.

"'Will see my tears.'"

The room applauded and gave him a standing ovation; Kate simply smirked at him and slow-clapped while raising an eyebrow at him.

* * *

_Why do I even have to be here?_ Rick asked himself as he began the final paragraph of the passage Gina had chosen for him to read. _Do they really all want to know the ending before they read the book? What's the fun in that?_ He hated readings. Signings he didn't mind so much, especially when they led to him signing breasts, you'd never hear him complain about that. But readings were torture. Despite popular opinion, he really didn't enjoy hearing his own voice speak his own words. And these words were particularly hard to choke out, because he finally felt like he'd left Storm behind; he really didn't want to revisit him.

Just when he thought he'd so much rather be sitting at his desk writing Nikki than staring out at thirty plus fans, most clutching tissues, there she was. Or rather, there Kate Beckett was, looking for all the world _exactly_ how he'd pictured Nikki Heat.

He knew she'd kill him for that name, but he liked it, and if that hot pink dress was any indication, he had vastly underestimated just how much like Nikki Beckett was. But he couldn't think about that at the moment; what had he been saying? Somehow he managed to finish his reading, though his eyes never left Beckett. She had to know what she was doing to him, had to know it wasn't fair.

Rick barely even noticed the standing ovation the crowd gave him, only the quirked eyebrow from the back of the room. Not for the first time that day, he wondered if she'd read the copy he gave her yet. He hoped so, or maybe he didn't. He was sure when he'd given it to her that she had indeed been a fan, he hadn't been lying when he said _Flowers For Your Grave_ and _Hell Hath No Fury_ never got much readership. But she never said anything about it, so he couldn't be sure she'd even read it.

In all honesty, his mother could spout all the terrible reviews she wanted, he didn't care, if Beckett liked it, or even merely didn't hate it, he would consider the book a success. But he guessed that he would never know Beckett's take on _Storm Fall_, though if there were any time to ask, wouldn't it be here, at the book's launch?

Rick fought his way through the crowd, trying to find her, praying she hadn't left yet. When he finally spotted her chatting with a man he remembered seeing near the back during his speech, jealousy flared deep in his chest, unbidden and certainly unwelcome. He had no claim over Beckett, and he knew that, nonetheless he

quickly worked his way to her, most definitely _not_ missing the way her legs looked in that dress.


	4. Hedge Fund Homeboys

**A/N: **I'm so glad people are reading my silly little interpretations, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Thank you's and love eyeballs (to steal a phrase) to any and all who've followed/favorited/reviewed, I can't express how happy that makes me. So here's the fourth installment. This one's a little different, centering around the end interrogation scene when Castle gets a confession out of Brandon. I loved this scene, so I figured I'd take a stab at it. Please review and tell me if you think I took too many liberties with Beckett's thoughts.

* * *

"Maybe you'd like to just sign a confession then?" Kate handed the paper over to Brandon, knowing this wasn't how it was going to end, but wanting to see how it would play out.

"Sure." He took her outstretched pen as Castle looked between the two of them, apparently fooled by Brandon's act. "I confess…" Kate watched as Brandon looked up from the paper to her chest. Well, she thought, he was right; this would be more fun without his lawyer. "That I'm dying to cop a feel under your cop blouse."

Kate just stared at him, incredulous and without anything to say in reply. The audacity on this kid left her speechless.

"There, now I feel so much better." Incredulity morphed to amusement as Kate turned to Castle, silently giving him the go ahead.

When Castle had proposed the idea that he conduct the interrogation instead of Beckett, she'd been resistant to say the least. After his explanation, however, she reluctantly conceded the merit to the plan.

As Castle made his initial spiel, something about black squid pasta, Kate smiled. Only a writer, well really on Castle, would be convinced that the best way to break a suspect would be boring him with a story about his dinner exploits, but she let him continue, trusting him to get to the point eventually.

It was rare that Kate even allowed anyone to sit in with her on an interrogation, much less play second fiddle, but she knew she wouldn't have gotten anywhere with Brandon. Even though he thought she'd gone to York, there was an air that prep-school kids had about them that couldn't be faked, and she was banking on Castle exploiting his to gain Brandon's trust. So she backed off and let him lead, just this once.

"Why would I kill Donny?" Brandon asked Kate, but it was Castle that answered.

"Amanda." The name pasted his lips with a simplicity that hinted that maybe Castle thought Brandon might have been justified. Kate smiled internally, Castle was definitely learning.

"Amanda is with me, not Donny."

"Yeah, only after Donny lost all his money." Brandon's eyes left Kate for only a second, but that second gave it all away. He was starting to lose his cocky composure. Kate almost smiled; it was only a matter of time now. Unless somehow Castle managed to screw this up.

"Which makes you sloppy seconds." Her moment of doubt in Castle reminded Kate that _she_ was the cop, and as much as she believe Castle could break him, she had to be sure.

"It had to eat you alive, knowing that Amanda had been with Donny." Castle asserted as he moved to get up.

"Especially since he got way more than under her blouse, right?" She laced the question with a smile, liking the way it made Brandon's face twitch. This had always been one of her favorite moments of a case, watching a suspect realize it was all falling apart. And she also really liked the dynamic she and Castle had working for them.

"I have that video that shows that Max killed Donny. Not me."

"And arranging that was _very_ impressive. Fooling Spencer, Romy and Amanda wasn't that hard, they didn't handle the gun. But, Max was another story…"

Kate sat back and watched Castle do what he did best, spin a story. Whether on not it was entirely accurate, Brandon was squirming. Thought she would never admit it, she found his stories fascinating, and more than a little sexy. Castle was a man in his element, and there was nothing more appealing. She hung on every word as she watched Brandon's face, seeing his resolve and defiance crumble as he bought them hook, line, and sinker.

"Exactly." Brandon whispered, a slight smile twitching the corners of his mouth.


	5. A Chill Goes Through Her Veins

**A/N:** So here's another short chapter; I really hope I'm not straying from the characters. I want to stay true to them, but sometimes my imagination goes a little crazy. So tell me what you think, review/PM. This scene is from the beginning of the episode when Castle and Beckett are going over the case file of the victim's disappearance. Hope you guys like it.

* * *

"According to her husband she ran a way a whole two weeks before their wedding day."

"Mhmm." He breathed in and Kate realized he'd come to lean over her shoulder, far too close. How long had he been there? "Then she came back. Three years…"

Castle was still talking, pointing at something in the case file, but Kate couldn't quite concentrate on his words when his cologne was fogging her brain. _No, focus_, she told herself, managing to catch the end of his spiel.

"Three times, no indication where she went."

"Well she must've had a reason for running away." Kate kept her eyes firmly locked on the text in the file, forcing herself not to notice the stubble on his cheek in her peripheral vision.

"Mm, I'm not judging her. Some people love the institution, hate the day-to-day." Did he realize he'd just said that out loud?

Kate couldn't help herself. She turned to look at Castle, trying to see how much weight he was holding in the words.

"Are you one of those people, Castle?" She asked, half teasing and half honestly curios. Come on, the man had been married twice.

But no, oh no. She hadn't thought this through, hadn't anticipated his reaction. It had been safe to look at him, her face so close to his, when he was looking straight ahead at the file, but this was bad. Castle turned to square his face with hers and they were mere inches apart. She forced her eyes to remain on his, it was one thing to look at his mouth when he wasn't aware of it, she couldn't allow herself to now. But as she stared defiantly at his eyes, they flitted to her own mouth, sending ice racing down her spine.

"Guess I just haven't found the right girl." He admitted, the smirk on his face proving he knew exactly what he was doing to her.

_Oh shit_, Kate thought as she struggled to hold her composure under his gaze. _Don't think it, don't you dare even think it_. But she couldn't stop the thought as her eyes, no longer controlled by her screaming brain, dropped to his mouth. _Maybe you should be looking somewhere new._

She quickly turned back to the file in her hands, but not fast enough to miss Castle's triumphant smile.

**A/N 2: **Wow, I just realized how incredibly short this is. I'll try to make them longer in the future.


	6. Always Buy Retail

**A/N:** Firstly, thanks to everyone who favorited/followed/reviewed (special shout out to TORONTOSUN for always making me smile and blush). I decided to change it up a bit for this episode and give you a scene from Castle's perspective (Meredith's visit to the precinct). And since I couldn't ignore that end scene between Castle and Beckett, I decided I'd give that to you as well. Hope you enjoy! As always, review are most welcome and appreciated.

* * *

"No, I'm not going to wait downstairs." No, no this could not be happening. Why was she here? "Do you know who pays your salary? Me and my taxes."

"Is that?" Beckett asked as Rick prayed he was hearing things.

"Ah, yep." This was not going to be pretty.

"Richard, over here." _Who even told her I was here_? He asked himself as he nodded across the bullpen at her.

"Deep-fried Twinkie?" Esposito asked, knowing the answer.

"'Fraid so." Rick got up, bracing for the oncoming storm. "Meredith. What a surprise."

"I know, isn't it great?" Not exactly the word he'd use. "In L.A. no one ever just stops by. Don't you just love this town?" She wasn't looking at him, but at Beckett. Oh, could this get any worse? No wait, of course it could, it always could.

"More and more by the minute." Beckett replied behind him. He was never going to live this down.

"Meredith, these are Detectives Ryan and Esposito, and Detective Beckett." She took a step forward and extended her hand for Meredith, no doubt counting the ways she was going to needle him for this later.

"Oh Beckett, your new muse." _Here it comes_, Rick couldn't believe this was happening. Talk about worlds colliding. "Alexis told me all about it." He wanted to be angry, but the look of mortification on his daughter's face was too much for him to punish her further. "And I simply had to stop by. You know I was his inspiration once."

"Were you now?" Oh, Beckett was enjoying this far too much. He didn't think he'd ever seen her smile so brightly. For just a second he lost himself in it, but then Meredith continued and he was crashed back into reality.

"Still am, from time to time." Alexis' jaw dropped. Here, this was the point where it could not possibly get worse. "Right Kitten?" And there it was. She was doing this on purpose now.

"Kitten?" No, Beckett was not allowed to call him that, damn it Meredith.

"I had this dream once," Rick said as he tried desperately to wipe the egg off his face with the small amount of dignity he had left. "Only I was naked," he wasn't able to prevent himself from appraising Beckett as he said the word. _Damn it Rick_. "And far less embarrassed." Beckett nodded at him, all pursed lips as she tried not to burst out laughing.

"Anyway, we were in the neighborhood, and I have a dinner tonight, so I thought I would drop Alexis here instead of schlepping all the way downtown. Is that SJP's purse?"

And she was off again. Why couldn't she just leave already? And then she was interfering in the case. Alexis mouthed "shopping" when he silently questioned her and they both rolled their eyes, turning to the group now discussing the victim's purse.

"Canal Street," Beckett said, realizing the connection between their victims. Damn, now Meredith had to be _helpful_ too?

* * *

"Bailer's gonna make it." Kate leaned against the wall and watched him drink his champagne. Now she'd have to explain to Montgomery why the department had to pay for the bottle. "You okay Castle?"

"My first gun battle." He was smiling smugly as if he'd been the one to actually shoot.

"Your last gun battle." She had a feeling his laser tag games with Alexis wouldn't feel so realistic from now on.

"Don't be so pessimistic. I think I handled myself pretty well."

"Yeah," she did have to give him that." Probably saved my life." _Let him chew on that for a bit_, she thought wryly.

"Probably?" Oh, now he was going to ruin it, wasn't he? "I _definitely_ saved your life. And you now what that means, don't you?" Uh, oh. "It means you own me." Fantastic.

"Owe you what?" She really didn't want to know, but then again, she kind of did.

"Whatever I want." Well, that wasn't good. The gleam in his eyes as he stepped forward made her wonder where he was going with this. "And you know exactly what I want, don't you?" He leaned in close and all she could think about was the feel of him when he'd tackled her. "You know what I really, _really_, want you to do." His eyes left hers, landing on her chest for the briefest of seconds before returning. Her heart fluttered without her brain's consent. He leaned even closer and whispered in her ear. "Never, _ever_, call me Kitten."

As he walked off she couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. She bit her lip to suppress a laugh. Someday she would find the opportunity to call him Kitten again; she knew it wouldn't be anytime soon, but she could wait.


	7. Home Is Where The Heart Stops

**A/N:** This one was just fun to write. I love it when Beckett actually acts like a girl. Enjoy (please review).

* * *

Standing in front of her closet, Kat couldn't for the life of her remember why she had agreed to this. Not only did she not want to have to parade around all night like she was Castle's girlfriend, but she truly had absolutely nothing to wear. It was one thing, putting on a sexy dress to surprise him at a book signing it was an entirely different thing to find one fitting of a black tie event.

At least Lanie was there to help with her total girl moment. Because Kate Beckett did not have girl moments like this, not anymore. Sure she went on dates every once in a while, but nothing that made her this nervous. Why was this making her nervous? It was just a little undercover work, not a big deal. And _definitely_ not a date. But it was Castle, and he would make it a big deal. Why had she agreed to this?

"You know what he's trying to do? He wants to humiliate me." Well, that probably wasn't entirely fair. What he probably wanted was to see her in a tight dress again, but she wasn't thinking about that. The doorbell rang. What now?

"Lanie can you get that please?"

"Alright, but you better not be wearing your prom dress when I get back." Lanie thought it was funny, but as Kate stood in front of her closet again, she thought that might not be far off.

"Bibbodi, bobbidi, boo?" Oh, hell no.

"Cinderella. It's from him." Of course he would know she had nothing to wear. This was a disaster.

"Oh please, it's a dress." But it was from _him_. "Now open it up girlfriend."

"Oh, I knew he was arrogant, but this, this is complet- Oh." Well, shit. The dress was… gorgeous. Revealing, of course, but classy and elegant and, oh hell, this was going to be torture. She wanted to ignore it out of spite, just so she wouldn't have to see his smug smile when he saw her in it. But damn it, you couldn't just ignore a dress like this.

Martha opened the door long before Kate was ready, but she tried to smile through her insecurity.

"Stunning, simply stunning. Come in, come in. Oh, hang on." Martha rushed out of the room as Castle and Alexis entered.

And there it was, Castle's smug smile, thought he wasn't gloating quite as much as she was expecting.

"You look incredible," came Alexis' greeting. A wave of relief mingled with Kate's anxiety.

"Really?" Oh, why did she have to be such a girl?

"Really. You clean up nice Detective Beckett." Castle said as he looked at her approvingly, only a hint of his smugness still visible under the sincerity. And now she was blushing, fantastic. This was going to be a long night.


	8. Ghosts

**A/N: **So this one was hard for me to write for some reason, and I'm not particularly happy with it. But I hope you enjoy it. End scene from the episode when Castle and Beckett decompress over the case. Please review :)

**P.S.:** Oh my god that promo yesterday!

* * *

Lee Wax brushed past her on her way out, visibly angry. Confused, Kate turned to her desk and there was Castle. Sitting in her chair, smirking. _At least I'm not the only one he likes to piss off_. She thought before giving him a "what the hell" gesture, prompting him to quickly move to his rightful place at the end of her desk. What was his fascination with sitting in her chair lately?

Yes, before it had been cute, him bet over at her desk, pouring over Lee Wax's notes. She'd had to suppress a smile when he didn't even notice her standing there. If she was honest with herself, it looked pretty natural, him sitting at a desk in the precinct. And for a second she had imagined him belonging there, filling out paperwork and going over case files. _No_, she'd thought, _he's not a cop. He never will be so don't even go there_. But she had, even if it had only been for a second.

Kate sat down in her chair and tried not to think about it. Instead she focused on the case.

"Susan Mailer's in booking."

"Mm. All these years, trying to do the right thing, trying to make amends. 'Cause of Cynthia's greed, she's gonna end up in jail."

"If you're looking for a happy ending you've come to the wrong place." God, how true was _that_ statement?

"Guess next time I'll just try that massage parlor on 2nd Avenue." Really? Kate gave him a disapproving look, but secretly she was glad to have him there, lightening the mood the way he always did. "Just kidding." She tried not to smile but failed. "Actually who needs a happy ending when you have a story with people pretending to be dead, living under assumed names, plotting fake suicides and murder for revenge?" Kate couldn't help but love the dramatic flair he ended with, something he no doubt learned from his mother.

"You know I'm glad to see that you're entertained, I however have to call Michael Goldman and let him know that his wife was a sociopath." Yeah, that was going to be fun. The phone calls were always difficult, but this was a whole new level. How do you find those words?

"But you also get to call Jared Swanstrom and tell him that he's no longer responsible for Susan Mailer's death. Matter of fact Susan Mailer's still alive."

"Which is why Cynthia is now dead." She appreciated his efforts to make her feel better, but as a matter of principle, she wasn't going to make this easier for herself. Connecting with the victims was too important for her to allow herself any latitude in empathy.

"Wow, you are all about the cloud aren't you?" Oh good grief. Yeah, that was fair. Okay, so maybe it wasn't fair, but it was true. "Never the silver lining. Okay," he said, reaching into his pocket. "This might cheer you up a little bit." He held up a wad of cash. Shit. She was busted. How did he know? "Your winnings."

"My winnings?" She tried to feign ignorance, but it didn't fool him.

"Oh don't play coy with me. You threw your hand." He actually looked kind of upset. Kate floundered a bit but finally just fessed up.

"Okay, I was just trying to be nice. I didn't want to embarrass you in front of your friends."

"Now we're even. So what do you say to a," he pulled out a deck, "little showdown." _Great_, she thought, _this is _definitely_ going to end well_. "Head to head, toe to toe, winner take all," he leaned forward. "Mano a mujer."

"Hand to woman?" Well, Spanish certainly wasn't one of his strong suits.

"Whatever it takes." Oh, the innuendo. As if she was going to let _that_ happen. But she leaned closer anyway, her face inches from his, daring him.

"You're on." She was so going to regret this.

"No mercy." Like she would need his mercy.

"I'm gonna make you hurt."

"Oh you're gonna get hurt."

"What are we playing for?"

"Pride. Or clothing." Ha! He wished. But the image forced itself on her before she could reply.

"I think I got a bag of gummy bears." But why did she always have to glance at his mouth? That was the last thing she wanted to do, but her eyes just gravitated there sometimes, unbidden.

"Shuffle?"

"Deal." She took the deck and pulled off the rubber band. This was going to be interesting. "Comfy with Texas Hold 'Em?"

"I'm comfy so long as my cards come from the top of the deck."

"Uh, what d'ya got up your sleeves?"

"Aside from my muscular arms?" Oh jeez. Castle gave her a pointed look and she laughed. Yes, beside from those.

* * *

**A/N 2:** So I write these all on paper in a notebook before I type them up (easier for my creative juices), and since I write pretty big, they take up at leas a full page, and then I bring them here and they just look so much shorter than I realized. Oh, well.


	9. Little Girl Lost

**A/N:** So this one is a lot longer, because I just couldn't decide which angst-filled scene I liked the best. I love this episode and I just couldn't choose, so you get two scenes today. First one is when we meet Sorenson, the second is that scene between him and Beckett in the Candelas' kitchen. Please review! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Sir what's going on?" Kate asked Montgomery, wondering why he was even here. It wasn't unheard of for him to walk a scene, but it wasn't a usual occurrence either.

"Two year old girl, Angela Candela, reported missing by parents about eight o'clock this morning."

"Where'd they find the body?" She asked, trying not to remember the last time.

"They haven't found her, she was abducted. Father was in the other room painting." Kate looked at Montgomery, trying to see if her suspicions were correct. She didn't want to do this again.

"Kidnapped from her home?" Castle piped in, but she ignored him.

"I don't understand sir, if this isn't a murder, why am I here?"

"The feds requested you to be on the task force." Damn it.

"The feds?" Again Castle couldn't shut up.

"FBI has jurisdiction over child abduction cases."

"Then why call me?" Castle asked, but Kate wasn't listening. Montgomery turned to him and answered.

"Because I like pissing off the FBI. And because you think outside the box, something the feebs rarely do." Kate couldn't remain quiet any longer. She had to ask, even if it was unprofessional.

"Sir, who's the special agent in charge?" Montgomery looked away and she had her answer. This was not going to be fun.

"Beckett it doesn't matter-"

"Sir. Who?" She had to hear it.

"Sorenson." Her last glimmer of hope died and she took a step back. Just hearing his name brought was painful.

"Who's Sorenson?" _Not now Castle_, Kate plead, but then decided to just ignore him.

"I thought he was in-"

"In Boston, not anymore; he's here." She tried to fight the irrational wave of anger that swept over her. He was back?

"Who's Sorenson?" Both she and Montgomery ignored Castle yet again.

"This isn't going to be a problem, is it Detective? I mean, we're all professionals right?" Kate nodded, seeing both challenge and comfort in her mentor's eyes. Yes, of course. She had a job to do, and she would do it, no matter her personal situation.

"Actually, I'm not. Who's Sorenson?" She knew Castle wasn't going to stop, but ignoring him was just so much easier.

"No sir, not a problem." But it was going to be one. She knew that.

"For what it's worth, that missing little girl doesn't care about your history, nor do her terrified parents. They just want their baby back alive." She hated herself for even bringing it up. Hated Will more for making her captain giver her this speech. And she hated Castle for his mere presence, because he'd witnessed it.

"Where is he sir?" She asked as his phone rang. Might as well get this over with now.

"He's over there talking to the parents." She looked, not really wanting to see, but part of her desperate for a glimpse. This definitely wasn't going to be fun. She could feel Castle's questioning stare as Will's head turned and she caught his eye. Damn, he looked good.

"Hello Kate." Will said with a little nod she used to find adorable.

"Hello Will." Wow this was awkward. "How long have you been back?" She hadn't really meant to voice the question, but she needed to know.

"Couple months." She nodded like it wasn't a big deal, but a couple _months_? She pushed down the hurt she was feeling as best she could. Forcing her disinterested cop demeanor to remain intact.

"Something wrong with Boston?" Her voice was perfect, even, detached, but he still knew. He'd always been able to read her, almost as well as Castle.

"Fresh lobster gets old fast." He was smiling, and she had to hold her breath to keep her contempt from showing in her features. He was joking about it. Did he really think it was funny? His face sobered. "You look good." He was staring at her mouth and she couldn't help remember the last time he'd kissed her, his lips tight on hers as they both tried to ignore the inevitable. She couldn't clear her head, as much as she tried.

"Thanks," she was relieved when it came out matter-of-factly. "I feel good." She felt Castle step closer to her. She'd all but forgotten his presence. "Uh, Agent Sorenson this is Richard Castle." She saw Castle smile at Will with a hint of what? Amusement? Disdain? Jealousy?

"The famous novelist." Kate barely suppressed and eye roll; Will had always been a little jealous of what Castle's books had meant to her. She could only imagine what he was thinking now.

"Writer of wrongs," Castle stated, a little smug. Kate didn't miss the way Will dismissed him and turned back to her.

"So, Captain Montgomery filled me in on your little arrangement. And I have no problem with it as long as it doesn't interfere with the investigation." As he looked between her and Castle it sure looked like he had a problem with it, but she ignored that for the moment.

"Oh, don't worry about me," Castle interjected, "quiet as a mouse. She seriously doubted that, and by the look on his face, so did Will, but neither commented.

Kate resolved to finish this one quickly or so help her she'd probably shoot them both.

* * *

Will was alone in the Candelas' kitchen. Kate desperately wanted some coffee, but… _Oh hell_, she thought, walking across the living room. _I might as well do this now. At least Castle's not here_.

"Hey," she said to his back as he poured himself a cup of coffee at the counter.

"Hey yourself. Want some?" She wanted to ask how he was being so casual about seeing her, working with her, again. But she knew. She knew because it was the same way she was doing it. They both had this facade that they hid behind, whether it be cop or agent. When things like this arose, personal things, they retreated into work mode for as long as the could.

"Yeah, thanks," she replied as she leaned against the counter, not looking at him. "So I just got word from my guys and Ellers is a dead end." She had to look at him, but she immediately regretted it. "The owner over at Paradise Diner on East 62nd vouched that he was having his usual poached eggs this morning."

"Hm," he smiled slightly, looking over at her. "Would've been too easy right?" She raised her eyebrows in agreement and looked away. "Or over easy." Did he really just say that? She looked at him again and saw the grin spread across his face. She couldn't help but laugh.

"That's like something Castle would say." She didn't mean to mention him, honestly hadn't wanted to, but the words just slipped out.

"You like him." It was a statement, not a question. His candor surprised her. He just looked at her knowingly. He wasn't going to let her half-truth her way through this. He knew her too well.

"No I just um," just what? She couldn't decide. "I don't know." She admitted, more to herself than to him. "He's interesting." Not even she knew exactly what that meant. But Will looked relieved.

"So, you're not?" Wow, he wanted to have _that_ conversation.

"Together?" She shook her head and smiled. "No."

He turned his body to her then, his face becoming serious again.

"I meant to call. Must have picked up the phone a dozen times." Kate glanced at his mouth. She had wanted to hear that, but now the words didn't soothe her, they just made her angry.

"Yeah. I know, you meant to do a lot of things. That's why," she took a deep breath as she walked away from him, needing the distance to regain control, "you left, remember?" She knew this probably wasn't fair, her guilting him. But damn it she didn't care. He left, and though she'd never admit it, watching him go tore her up. And seeing him again only served to reopen the wound.

"Boston was a great opportunity."

"I'm not saying that it wasn't. I'm just," what? What was she trying to say? "Saying it was a choice. That didn't include me." She crossed her arms and looked at him as she leaned against the wall. Yes, that was what had hurt the most, not being included in his decision.

"You coulda come." She had put him on the defensive, but it was all out now.

"And then done what? Joined the Boston PD, and then you have to move to Phoenix, then Cleveland, and then you're back here. I mean we both know what that life is all about." She was losing some of her steam, knowing it would never have worked. He stepped closer.

"Didn't stop me from missing you." She was glad to hear him say that, but she wished he wouldn't. That, them, was gone. "Missing us. Sundays in the park. Those ridiculous neon ice skates at Rockefeller Center." He was laughing now at the memory and she couldn't help but join him.

"I'll have you know," she said giving him a sweet smile, "that those ice skates are awesome." He took another few steps forward.

"It wasn't the skates." She almost, _almost_, melted against the wall as he stepped even closer, his hand coming up to graze her cheek. But this wasn't, no. She swallowed, not sure what it was that she wanted.

"Will, I, I" but then his fingers pushed her hair back as they came into full contact with her face and his lips were on hers. Soft, and more tenderly than she could ever remember, he kissed her. For a moment, just a moment, she let herself forget. Forget all that had happened since the last time he'd kissed her, really kissed her, before everything with Boston had started. Forget that she was in a stranger's kitchen, waiting for news about their abducted daughter. Forget everything but the feel of his lips on hers, his fingers brushing softly behind her ears.

"Oh, I thought cops and feds hated each other." Fantastic. Cue Castle's entrance. Kate tried to pay attention to whatever Castle was saying, but it was difficult when all she could concentrate on was the fact that Will's lips weren't on hers anymore. She didn't know what to think, what she wanted. This was only going to get worse.

* * *

**A/N 2:** Random fun fact. When you pause during the kissing to write, the longer you stare at them, the more awkward it gets. I couldn't get my phrasing right, so it got _really_ awkward. Hopefully I'll be able to update again today, no promises though.


	10. A Death In The Family

**A/N: **I have absolutely no excuses for how long this took me to update. There are too many distractions on the Internet. But here it is _finally_. This one's a little different; it focuses on Kate's inner dialogue as she "goes all _Beautiful Mind_" near the end of the episode. Hope you like it. Review and tell me what you thought.

* * *

_What am I not seeing?_ Kate thought as she stared at the whiteboard for the hundredth time, not really even seeing it anymore.

_Dr. Joshua Leeds, 37, COD asphyxiation from plastic bag and duct tape, tortured perimortem, most likely sending a message. Plastic surgeon, fiancée of one year Courtney Morantz, no motive, seemed happy, filed missing person's, alibied at cake shop. 'He'd always call.'_ The woman's words reapeated in her mind, but she forced herself to move on.

_Disgruntled patient Jacey Goldber, sued Leeds for his refusal to perform fourth facelift. Castle likes The Elephant Man. Committed to Bellevue, released before murder. Alibied at hospital. Possibly hired the hit, not probable because of torture._

_Mystery files traced to DOJ. Surgery for Wit Pro on Jimmy Moran aka "The Rat." How does Castle have a guy in the mob? Employees: Julia Hammond, Maggie Dowd, and Mario Guerrera. All checked out in first round of canvas. None knew of Leeds' work with Wit Pro. Will. No, stay focused. MO matched Moran's. Spilanos definitely involved. He called me extraordinary. God I need more coffee. Moran shot. Our meet. We were followed._

_Not Moran, because he wouldn't shoot himself._

Kate heard the boys talking and saw Castle come in, but ignored them, listening only to the evidence. _Courtney, Goldberg, Julia, Maggie, Mario. Which one? _She sat down, desperately trying to find the one thing she was missing. _Our investigation, our meet, followed. Which one?_

"I've been reading on the Internet about this new thing called sleep, it's supposed to be real good for you." She cut Castle off, shushing him and waving a hand in his face. She had to concentrate. _Courtney, Goldberg, Julia, Maggie, Mario. Where's the mob tie? Goldberg wouldn't've hired a hit through the mob, so she's out too._

"When I gave you that little speech last night I really didn't mean for you to go all _Beautiful Mind_ on me." _Extraordinary. Someone we talked to._

"It wasn't anyone at the U.S. Attorney General's Office. They wouldn't need us to find him, so it _had_ to be someone that we talked to." _Mario, Maggie, Julia, Courtney_.

"You don't think it was my mafia connection?" _No. Extraordinary. I already ruled that out. Keep up Castle._

"If he's in a rival family then they would want Moran alive to testify because then the Feds take down the Spilanos and the other families can take over their territories. No." _Duh. 'You don't back down.'_ "We," Kate stood up. The answer was right in front of her and she knew it; she just couldn't _see_ it. "Are looking for someone who had access to the doctor before we got the case." _Courtney, Julia, Maggie, Mario._

"So that leaves the fiancée and his staff." _Finally Castle was catching up_.

"Yeah except the fiancée is clean," Ryan stated as he and Esposito joined the party. "Alibied and accounted for last night. Phone records don't indicate any calls to unknown numbers." _I didn't like her for it anyway. Too much pain_ Kate thought, knowing full well the pain could've been faked, but glad it wasn't.

"And I thought you already ran his staff up." Castle looked questioningly at her, confusion evident on his face. _Julia, Maggie, Mario_.

"We did; there were no records of anything to indicate ties to organized crime." Esposito handed her the file.

"What about last night?" _Mario, Maggie, Julia. Which one?_

"Maggie Dowd was at dinner with friends," Esposito listed as Ryan ticked them off on his fingers. "Mario Guerrera stayed late packing patient files, and senior nurse Julia Hammond claims she was at home alone." _Soft, all of them_.

"What was Mario doing packing patient files last night?"

"They're closing up shop. Patient files are all going to new doctors."

"Just, doesn't that seem like a weird thing to be doing on a Friday night?"

"Yeah well, when you're low man on the totem poll, that's what life is like. People think they can call you into work at six a.m. on a Saturday." Kate ignored Ryan's barb and Castle's snicker. As long as the case got solved, she didn't care if they griped a bit.

"Julia Hammond and Maggie Dowd, how long did they work for Dr. Leeds?" _Finally, something falling into place._

"Uh, Hammond was with him ten years; Maggie came on a few months back, why?"

"Because our low man on the totem poll Mario Guerrera started working for the doctor about a month ago." _Mario. Will. No._

"We checked him, even called his nursing school. He's clean."

"Check again." Ryan was being overly whiny today. Kate knew she was being a bit bitchy, but she didn't care. She made a mental note to try not to call them in so early in the future. "Can't all be clean." _Time to find out._ She turned from her desk as the boys left to recheck Mario.

"Where're you going?"

"To see if Mario was actually at the office Friday night." Kate walked out, knowing Castle would follow. _Mario. God I need coffee._


	11. Deep In Death

**A/N: **Quick update this time :) I finally made it to season 2! (Why does that feel like an accomplishment?) Here's the opening scene for 2x01, I hope you like it. It's not as angsty as my recent ones, mostly just annoyed Beckett. Please review :)

* * *

"What's so special about world-famous mystery novelist Richard Castle? He's rich, he's handsome, and he's basing his next bestseller on you." Kate finally peeled her eyes away from Castle's back to the woman in front of her. How exactly had she gotten herself roped into this one? Oh, that's right, the damn mayor, well, she wouldn't be calling him Bob again anytime soon, that was for damn sure, not that she really enjoyed calling him Bob before. "So tell me Detective Beckett, what's it like being the inspiration for thrill master Richard Castle's new character Nikki Heat?" God she hated that name. But somehow she kept the careful smile she'd plastered on her face when she met this woman from slipping as she stared at the mini-microphone being shoved in her face.

"On behalf of the NYPD, it has been a pleasure to offer Mr. Castle insight into the profession." There, perfectly prepared statement delivered perfectly.

"Given all of his bestsellers, it's obvious Mr. Castle has tremendous insight into the criminal mind. I'm told in many occasions his participation was essential to solving your toughest cases."

"Really?" Seriously? Somebody actually told her that? "You were told that? By who?" She was pretty sure she already knew that answer.

"By Castle." Of course.

Kate spied Montgomery and leapt at the chance to, if nothing else, stall this interview. Castle had some gall, saying he was essential to anything that didn't involve his daughter.

"Could you excuse me for a moment?" The smile on her face claimed she was calm, maybe even enjoying herself, but underneath her skin crawled, her blood boiled. He just couldn't leave her alone could he? She stood up and stalked over to her captain.

"Sir, could I talk to you in private for a moment please?" It wasn't a question.

"Beckett, I have a couple-"

"Now." She turned into the man's office, giving him little choice but to follow. Once he was across the threshold she shut the door, taking care not to slam it like she wanted to and wishing it weren't made of glass.

"We made a deal, Beckett." He said as he went to stand behind his desk. His back was to her, but she knew he was smiling, could hear it in his voice. He was enjoying this far too much.

"The deal is off."

"What's the problem?" Seriously? He had to ask? Couldn't he just look out his window?

"Not only does he have the bachelor party cop twins out there using him as a stripper pole while I make nicey-nice with the press, but do you know what he said?" She sounded like a disgruntled teenager, but she didn't care.

"No." Montgomery was barely suppressing laughter, which only served to further piss her off.

"He said he has been instrumental in helping us solve crimes."

"Well, hasn't he?" Not exactly the cry of outrage Kate was looking for. Was he on Castle's side?

"That's not the point." She didn't really know what was anymore, but it definitely wasn't that.

"Do you know how hard it is for NYPD to get good press? I mean in a magazine that people actually read?" She did, that fact had been forced on her to get her so she would do the interview in the first place. But again, that wasn't the point. Process of elimination, she'd find it eventually. "This article is very important to the mayor." Ugh, _Bob_ again. "Therefore we are going to cooperate. Do I make myself clear?"

"Okay, fine." It's not like she had a choice in the matter.

She walked into the break room as the Carmen Electra look-a-like left, Ryan and Esposito watching her go.

"We should have photoshoots here more often." _Men_, Kate thought, _so predictable_. She purposely walked passed the espresso machine to the pot and poured herself a cup.

"Hey Beckett, how come you don't wear a uniform like that?" Esposito asked just to push her buttons. She didn't let him.

"Because I don't wanna get paid in singles." The boys chuckled and she just ignored them.

"Hey." _And Castle makes his inevitable appearance_. Kate had been expecting him to confront her at some point, so she'd come prepared. There was an awkward moment of complete silence before Ryan threw her under the bus.

"Oh hey, uh, don't we have that thing." She glared at him while he smiled at his partner, clearly enjoying this as much as Montgomery.

"No." Esposito replied, looking back at Castle. She wasn't sure which was worse, Ryan wanting to desert her, or Esposito wanting to watch.

"Yeah, you know that thing with the guy." Kate barely suppressed raising an eyebrow. She'd let them get away with it, for now.

"Oh, yeah." Esposito finally caught on and they excused themselves.

"I just wanted you to know I had nothing to do with this." She rounded on Castle, doing her best to give him a disinterested, neutral look, but she couldn't prevent her eyebrows from showing her skepticism.

"You don't have to explain yourself." Her tone was so casual she would've believed it too if she weren't inside her own head.

"Really?" The way he perked up in disbelief was comical, but she didn't feel like laughing.

"Really. See," she inhaled for dramatic effect. "I don't care anymore. Now if you'll excuse me I have an interview to get back to." She walked past him, glad it was over, but happy with how she'd handled it.

"What did I do that was so wrong?" He asked, stepping into stride behind her. Only he would be so audacious as to ask that question. He knew exactly what he did. Kate's carefully pleasant demeanor crumbled.

"The one thing I asked you not to do."

"Okay so you asked me not to look into your mother's murder, but look what I found." He acted like that fixed everything. Why did men always have to try to _fix_ things?

"It doesn't matter what you found I put that all behind me a long time ago." She smiled at the journalist still sitting at her desk as she walked up to it, effectively ending her conversation with Castle. "We can get back to the interview now."

"Gonna have to reschedule." Esposito stated as he and Ryan walked up. "Just caught a body." Perfect. Now she could escape both Castle and writer-girl.

"I'm so sorry to step out on you Amy," but the grin on Kate's face begged to differ.

"Oh, are you kidding it's perfect." What now? She froze halfway through pulling on her jacket. "A chance to see Castle in action. Our readers will love it."

"Well we wouldn't want to disappoint your readers, now would we Detective Beckett?" Oh, if not for insubordination…

Montgomery gave her the look that closely resembled her own death glare and Castle, damn him, looked surprised, smug, and terrified all at the same time.


	12. The Double Down

**A/N: **So I believe I've been going through a bought of writer's embarrassment and I just haven't felt that anything I've been writing lately has been worth posting. Hopefully this isn't absolutely terrible, but please stick with me; I promise I'm trying.

So here's my take on when Kate finds out about the bets.

* * *

When Castle went to go get a coffee, Kate watched him. He'd been acting strangely all day, and she knew something was up. But what? She'd seen him in hushed conversations with a few other detectives throughout out the day. It was far from unusual for him to socialize, but there was something about today that looked shady.

She turned her attention to the murder board, shaking if off as yet another Castle idiosyncrasy. She began updating their information, but could feel eyes on her, and they weren't Castle's eyes, which she was used to by now. She looked up and saw a uniform turn away as if he'd been watching her. What was going on today? Castle was playing super-cop and everyone in the precinct seemed incredibly interested in her case. Everywhere she turned she seemed to find groups of detectives suddenly scattering. Kate liked to think that she was intimidating, but there was no way she was that frightening.

"Hey Stegner." Yet another lurking detective. What was Castle up to?

"Just, admiring the great board work Beckett." Yeah, right. If that wasn't the flimsiest excuse she'd ever heard.

"Care to share any insight?" Well, she might as well see if Stegner would break, she looked antsy enough.

"I really need to, go file…"

"Uh huh." Okay, so maybe _that_ was the flimsiest excuse. As Stegner walked, no almost ran, away, Kate saw Castle in the break room, cash in hand, talking to a few detectives. No. He wasn't. He wouldn't. That was too low, even for him.

"Son of a," She strode across the bullpen, trying to decide whether it would be more satisfying to shoot or strangle him. When she reached him she still hadn't decided, so she grabbed the envelope in his hand.

"Nobody move," she demanded as the two detectives tried to escape; they froze immediately. Yes, she could be intimidating when she wanted to be. She turned to Castle. "What is this?" She held up the envelope, already knowing exactly what it was, but still not wanting to believe it.

"Girl Scout cookie orders." He replied without missing a beat. The detectives nodded in agreement, but Kate wasn't buying it.

"Huh, Girl Scout cookie orders," she mused as she rifled through the cash he'd collected. There was quite a haul there. How many of her colleagues had participated in this nefarious plot?

"Yeah, just, helpin' out the troop."

"Funny, I didn't realize Alexis was a Girl Scout." In fact, she _knew_ Alexis wasn't a Girl Scout, but she wanted to hear how he'd wiggle his way out of it. She walked away from him, sure that if she stood there any longer she'd smack him.

"Oh, she's got so many activities I can barely keep track." Oh, he's got an answer for everything. Where were the boys? No way they weren't in on this too.

"Fricken great." And there they were, perfect timing.

"What happened?" Castle thought changing the subject would make her forget; it wouldn't.

"Ballistics screwed us." Ryan and Esposito said in tandem before Ryan elaborated.

"Our mugger's gun doesn't match the bullet taken from our vic." Before Ryan could sit down at his desk, Kate held up the envelope in front of them accusatorily. Their faces went pale. She could feel a gentle breeze from behind telling her Castle was signaling them to keep quiet, but it wouldn't work. "What's goin' on?" Yeah, Ryan, act all innocent; that will work.

"Betting on murder cases guys? Really?" They tried denial, but guilt was written all over their faces. Castle made a last-ditch effort to save their skins.

"I'm telling you it's Girl Scout ord-" She didn't let him finish.

"Girl Scout cookies are sold in February." She turned on the boys again. "You guys should be ashamed of yourselves. Now get back to work." It was one thing for Castle to screw around, but the boys knew better. She stalked back to the board, staring at it as if something new would materialize if she willed it into being. Castle came up beside.

"Listen, I'm sorry; I know it was wrong. I just thought-" Kate didn't want to hear it, luckily Karpowski cut him off.

"Beckett, you're never gonna believe this." She said as she walked over to them.

"Well the bar on unbelievable is pretty high right now." Might as well throw in one last barb for good measure.

"Vic's husband took out a $3 million life insurance policy on his wife last month." Without thinking, Kate spun to face Castle and held up his envelope.

"Hundred on us."

* * *

**A/N 2:** So I hope is wasn't complete garbage. I know it's pretty straight forward; I just couldn't find a scene that I could really dig into, so I ended up with this. Like I said, I am trying to get my grove back. Hopefully I'll be able to update soon. Please review and tell me your thoughts, I love getting them (seriously, I squeal a lot).


	13. Inventing the Girl

**A/N:** I am so incredibly terrible at updating this, and for that you have my sincerest of apologies. I've just gotten so distracted lately (mostly by reading everyone else's stories). I'm going to stop making promises, because I just keep breaking them, so what I'll say is that I'm hoping to get more consistent.

Here's my take on 2x03. I loved this scene, because we kind of got to see Beckett being a bit of a fangirl over _Heat Wave_. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

"So what would Nikki Heat do after a bad day?" Kate knew this would do nothing but stroke his ego, but he had been right before, she was upset about the article. Not to mention the fact that she'd always been desperate to read his books the minute they were release, not that he'd ever know that, and well, this one was about her, so she was prepared to do a little ego-stroking and prompting if it meant she'd finally get her hands on _Heat Wave_. Luckily he took the bait.

"She'd go home, pour a stiff drink," Kate nodded; that sounded pretty good. "Run a hot bath; read a good book." _There it is_, Kate thought triumphantly, her perfect in. She did her best to hold her air of nonchalance.

"Too bad I don't have a good book to read."

"Mm," Castle agreed. " I'd let you have _Heat Wave_, but my publisher doesn't want any copies leaking out." Oh, that stung a bit. Did he really think she'd let the book leak?

"Why'd you let that Cosmo reporter read it then?" She would never admit it, but there was more than a hint of jealousy coloring her question. She hadn't realized it at the time, but she'd always assumed he'd let her read it first.

"Well, that was for publicity purposes. You know, you want the press to have a little taste." Kate nodded, waiting for him to catch on, hoping she wouldn't have to be blunt and admit she wanted to read it. "Wait, whoa- is, is that why you've been so upset? Because I let her read it before you?" _Duh! Honestly you call yourself observant._

"I'm the inspiration. I should be reading it before a reporter does." She couldn't believe she actually had to spell this out for him. Then again, he didn't know why this was so important to her.

"Why didn't you just say so?" _Because I didn't think I had to; I didn't think you were that clueless_.

"Why didn't you just give it to me?"

"Why didn't you ask?" _Really? Do you know me at all? Like I'd ever just come out and ask!_

"Why didn't it occur to you?" Oh, that was an interesting question that she hadn't meant to think, much less voice. One that she wasn't sure she wanted the answer to, because it held deeper implications than she was ready to confront at the moment. Fortunately, Castle was floundering with the stated question so much that he seemed to have missed the implicit ones. She gave him a look as if to say 'Well?' and he finally found words again.

"You'll have it by tomorrow." A thrill of anticipation ran down her spine. She was excited to see what he'd written, her interpretation of her; but she was also terrified to find out exactly how he saw her. Letting him follow her around for research was one thing, actually seeing the finished product would be quite another entirely.

"Good," was all she could think to say.

"Good." He stood up and walked away visibly rattled. Kate smiled as she watched him go. Sometimes he was so _easy_.

* * *

**A/N 2:** Yes, it's another short one, but I'm a little frustrated with working my way through season 2, there's not as much angst as I'd like to write about. Please review if you feel compelled (and even if you don't, it'd still be pretty cool if you would review).


	14. Fool Me Once

**A/N: **Yay I'm updating without spending a week distracting myself! After last chapter, I had to do the scene where Beckett finally reads the sex scene. I absolutely love this scene because you can just see the horror on her face. Hope you enjoy it, please review!

* * *

Kate sat at her desk filling out paperwork as quickly as possible. She'd known bringing her copy of _Heat Wave_ to work with her had been dangerous, but now it was just sitting in her purse, begging her to crack it open again.

She hadn't stopped thinking about it since Agent Gray mentioned the sex scene. Admittedly, she'd been expecting it ever since Nikki's little "perfume ad moment" with Rook on that balcony. For the hundredth time, she mentally kicked herself for forcing herself to put it down the night before after chapter seven. She wondered how close she'd been; when she'd gone to bed, Nikki was gaining traction in her case, but was nowhere near sleeping with Rook. But anything could, and generally did, happen in Castle's books.

"No hot date tonight?" Castle asked as he walked up to her desk, clearly getting ready to head home.

"No, just the paperwork." _And then yours_. She thought before she could stop herself. She'd never regretted being a fan of his, but sometimes she hated it.

"One of the many reasons I'm glad I'm not actually a cop." He said, smiling.

"Uh huh." Yeah, there were many reasons _she_ was glad he wasn't a cop. She had enough paperwork to deal with as it was.

"Have a good one."

"Yeah, you too." She turned back to her paperwork, desperately trying to concentrate. But only seconds later she glanced around, then at her purse. _No, not a the precinct._ Kate chided herself. _But he's gone. And it's late; no one will see if I just slip away for a minute._ She grabbed her purse and half ran from the bullpen.

As she walked through the bathroom and into a stall her heart raced, something to do with the illicit nature of doing this at work. She hated herself for it, but she had to know. She bit her lip as she sat and pulled her legs up. Digging the book out of her purse, she started searching.

"Aha!" She heard a voice, no, _his_ voice, from the next stall and jumped. _Shit, absolute worst-case scenario._

"Huh! Castle what're you doing here?" It was the women's bathroom after all.

"I knew you were reading it." His smug face made her want to smack him, but her embarrassment was forcing her to shrink away.

"Ah- I was-" Coherent thought evaded her.

"It's on page 105, by the way."

"What?" No, no, this could not get any more mortifying.

"That sex scene you're looking for." Her mouth fell open. No, this wasn't happening. It was just a terrible, horrifying nightmare. "And Agent Gray was right. It's steamy."

"I wasn't-" She tried to recover, but they both knew it was a lie.

"See you tomorrow." And with that he was gone, leaving her to her embarrassment and whistling as he went.

Ugh, she would never live this down. He was such an ass. A smug jackass that just loved to push her buttons and watch her squirm. _But_, he was gone now, right? She listened intently and, hearing nothing, smiled. Quickly finding page 105, she began to read.

Her mouth fell open again, but this time she was smiling too. The further down the page she read, the more her cheeks burned, but she couldn't get enough. She'd known Castle was adept at writing a good sex scene, but this was different. This was about her. If she hadn't been so wrapped up in it, she would've been sufficiently annoyed that he ever thought about her in this way, but as it was, she frankly just didn't care.

It was twenty minutes before she was able to close the book and begrudgingly go back to her paperwork.

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**A/N 2: **Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. And for the guest who commented about the angst after 2x21, yes I'm very much looking forward to all of that.


	15. When the Bough Breaks

**A/N: **I am so incredibly horrendous at updating apparently. I've been so busy with classes and other things lately that just haven't had the time. But this one's a bit longer, so I hope that helps make up for my absence, please forgive me.

Here's the _Heat Wave_ launch party scene. Hope you enjoy! (Please review!)

* * *

Kate turned the corner and prayed that, by some miracle, the throng of paparazzi would either not see her, or simply not recognize her. That hope was dashed however, when she heard one particularly bold cameraman exclaim: "Hey! There's Nikki Heat!"

_Ugh_, she thought as the cameras started flashing. _Do they even know my real name? Better yet, do they realize I could kick their asses six ways to Sunday without even breaking a sweat, even in this ridiculous dress?_ She'd only worn the dress to torture Castle; give him a taste of what he'd be missing if he decided to write that "British secret agent" instead of Nikki, not that she cared. And God did she hate that name.

Kate, finally passing through the press line, looked around awkwardly. She'd always hated parties, but this one was worse than anything she'd ever experienced, and she'd only been there for about thirty seconds. She rolled her eyes as she scanned the room.

Finding Montgomery, she smiled, at least she wouldn't have to put up with small talk with strangers who thought they knew her because they'd read the book. _That_ would be excruciating.

"You clean up pretty nice, Detective." From anyone else, it would have made her cringe, but from Montgomery, she knew it was a genuine compliment.

"Thank you Sir."

"Castle's gonna be happy to see you." Kate's whole body stiffened and her smile fell. What did that mean? "Have you read the dedication?"

"No." Ice ran through her veins. What could Castle have possibly written to put that smug grin on Montgomery's face? "What does it say?" He gave her a knowing look.

"Go see for yourself. Excuse me." She wanted to yell for him to stay, grab his shoulder so he wouldn't leave her standing alone. But she was also dying to read the dedication, so she let him go.

On her way over to the ridiculous table of copies of _Heat Wave_, Kate bit her lip.

For the past year, she had been nothing but annoyed by Castle. But when he said he might be leaving, her chest had tightened. She didn't want to think about coming to work without having him there distracting her. The small part of her brain that had accepted his presence, the same small part that reminded her daily what twenty year old Kate Beckett thought of Richard Castle, was now wondering if he was tying to use his dedication as the ultimate way of impressing her. The other, very large section of her brain that refused to even acknowledge she'd known who he was before interrogating him, told that small part to pipe down and get a grip.

When she reached the table, she stood looking around for a moment, hoping against hope that Castle wouldn't see her. This wasn't something she wanted him to witness. She picked up one of the books, trying, and failing, to be inconspicuous. She could feel eyes on her, but couldn't see anybody watching her, so she thought maybe she was imagining it.

His picture was on the back cover, and damn it she couldn't help but stare at if for a few seconds before turning it over and opening to the dedication, smiling slightly.

"To the extraordinary KB and all my friends at the 12th."

She wanted to be angry, that he'd thought it was okay to put her initials in his dedication, but she couldn't muster it. Because Richard Castle had dedicated a book to her. She always loved the dedications in the books she read. Knowing that at least most authors took great care in choosing what to write in those first lines, Kate had always read them carefully. More than once she had daydreamed about being that important to somebody. It scared her to think that now she might be, to Castle. And that damn word. "Extraordinary." Hearing him call her that in person had been startling, but to see it in print? It took her breath away.

"Hey." _Shit_. Kate whipped around at the sound of his voice, knowing she was thoroughly busted.

"Hey," she replied, trying to sound like she had more control over herself than she actually did. "I – hu… I was just, uh… the uh… the dedication. Wow. Thank you." She handed the book to him, her brain apparently incapable of stringing words together into full sentences.

"I meant it. You are extraordinary." And with the look he was giving her, she almost believed she could be. She almost believed that maybe, just maybe, if she let it happen, she wouldn't be just another conquest, just another notch in his bedpost. She smiled at the thought.

"Listen." He took a step forward and Kate's heart started beating faster. Damn him and how he could make her feel. "I was thinking." Her face dropped and she swallowed hard, really not sure if she wanted him to continue or not, but she was leaning toward the former. He wet his lips with his tongue and somewhere in the back of her mind, she registered that she'd stopped breathing. "What if the wife got onto the affair?"

_What?_ He was standing a little more than a foot away from her, staring seriously into her eyes, and he was asking about the wife? The rapid change in subject was giving her whiplash as a wave of disappointment washed over her.

"Melissa Talbot?" She asked, trying to recover as gracefully as she could. "A killer?"

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Of course he'd pull out a cliché now.

"Ah… well, uh." She furrowed her brow, still trying to shake off their almost-moment. It had almost been a moment, hadn't it? It hadn't just been her imagination right? "Anything's possible. I didn't see it that way."

"Huh, you're just saying that because you've never been scorned."

She glared at him, hurt that he'd apparently been oblivious to their almost-moment.

"What makes you say that?" She wasn't sure she wanted the answer, in fact, she knew she didn't. But if she didn't ask, the question would eat her alive. And he had the audacity to chuckle. Not even laugh, but _chuckle_.

"Oh come on, what man has ever turned you away?" _You, just now._ She looked at him point blank for a second as he studied his own book. Could his ego get any bigger? But then a wave of pain hit her as she realized he truly hadn't recognized what he'd been doing to her. Didn't understand that she'd worn this damn dress _for him_. Didn't see that, even though she'd never admit to it, she really didn't want him to quit writing Nikki. So she recovered the only way she could think to.

"So, any word on a certain British secret agent who shall not be named?"


	16. Vampire Weekend

**AN:** I can't believe it's been over a month since I posted! I moved in October and I'm still living out of boxes (that's how hectic my life is right now), so if that's any excuse, there it is.

I kind of got a little stuck halfway through this one, so I hope it still flows well. I also really didn't like how I saw Castle in this scene from Beckett's perspective, but I think I worked it out well enough. This is the end(ish) scene in the precinct when they discuss why Castle writes about murder.

I hope you like it! Please review!

* * *

"I hope this doesn't destroy her." Castle said as they watched this already broken family crumble even more.

"It will for a little while." Kate hadn't really meant to say it out loud; she wasn't entirely sure if she was revealing something about her own story to Castle, or simply drawing from the plethora of victims she'd seen fall apart over the years. They never blended together in her mind, but sometimes she wasn't sure if the pain she felt was theirs or her own.

"And then one day she'll wake up and it will just be a part of her life." _That_ was definitely about Kate; she wouldn't deny that. But now that she was in waters too deep to be comfortable, she had to find some levity. "Who know," she said, smirking as she walked around her desk. "Maybe she'll become a writer."

"Or a cop," Castle agreed, easily tracking her mood shift.

As they sat, Kate thought back to their earlier "conversation" about why he'd started writing murder mysteries. The question had been eating at her, but now was the first time she'd really had the opportunity to ask again.

"You know you still haven't told me where your fascination with murder came from." She tried to play nonchalant, but her curiosity burned hot. He didn't look at her for a moment, seemingly deciding whether or not to tell her the story. When he finally turned to her, she leaned forward unconsciously, bracing herself to see a new layer of Castle.

"I was five years old. We were summering in the Hamptons." Barely two sentences in and Kate was enthralled. It was truly embarrassing how much she loved this man's ability to weave a story.

As he continued, she could almost feel the summer heat on her back, the wet sand beneath her toes. If she could have thought about anything but his words, she would have called herself pathetic, being so caught up with his simple little story. But he was just so damn _good_ at this. If there ever was, there was no longer any question in Kate's mind as to why he'd made the bestseller list more than twenty times. He could, she thought to herself and tried not to laugh, read her his grocery list and make it sound like an epic adventure. But if she had anything to say about it, he would never know she felt this way; his ego was already large enough.

"So I ran over to see what it was." She could tell Castle's story was coming to its climax, and she hung on every word.

"What was it?" She asked, smiling as she waited for the punch line. But then his face sobered.

"It was a boy. My age." Kate's face immediately darkened. Her eyes raked his face, searching for a glimmer of the pain she'd seen in so many witnesses, in the mirror, wondering how she'd missed it for so long. "It was our housekeeper's son."

She had to look away. This was not what she had been expecting when she'd asked, wouldn't have had she known the answer would be as terrible as this. She tried to listen as he continued, but a single question burned through her brain.

"What happened to him?" She didn't really want to hear the answer, she never did, but she had to ask.

"They never found out." Ice washed through her veins. Even without her own experience, she had seen enough people lose loved ones to know that knowing what happened matters. She said the only think she could.

"I'm so sorry Castle."

He nodded a little, but a grin cracked across his face. Then it hit her.

"You made that up?" She couldn't _believe_ she had fallen for it.

"It's what I do!" He laughed and she realized she should have seen it coming. Of course she'd never seen that telltale pain in his eyes, he was _lying_.

"You know you are so getting it for that one." She tried to hide her shock by vowing revenge, but she was still trying to shake his story off.

"The party," he said as he stood to leave, "is at nine o'clock. I cannot wait to see what you're wearing." She gave him a smile and an eye roll as he left, but when she turned back to her desk, she couldn't help the image stuck in her mind's eye of a five year old Castle leaning over the body of a young boy. She should her head slightly to try to focus herself. After all, she now had to decide what she was wearing to his damn party.

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**AN 2:** So there you have it! Hopefully I'll be updating soon (I'm trying to get my writing juices flowing again), but as always, I can't make any promises. Please review, I love hearing what you guys think.


	17. Famous Last Words

**AN:** Hey look, two updates in less than 24 hours! (I'm just trying to make up for the month I left you high and dry, I hope it's working.)

This one's from Castle's point of view (I know, finally one that isn't Beckett), and it's a little different than most of the others. I'm not really sure how much I like it, but I have this irrational, inexplicable love for this scene when Beckett talks down Sky Blue in the morgue, so I wanted to show it from Castle's perspective. Hopefully you guys like it.

Please review! :)

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"What's goin' on in there?" Beckett asked as they walked down the hall at the morgue.

"Haley Blue's sister Sky is having a very emotional reaction to her sister's death." Perlmutter explained as they neared the door.

Rick watched from the doorway as Beckett walked in, but he couldn't help remembering the first time something like this had happened, his second case with her. He had been in awe of her then, and he couldn't wait to see how she'd handle it this time. Over her shoulder he saw the young woman who must be Sky Blue; the sight broke his heart. He prided himself on his ability to remain objective, or at least emotionally unattached, even around distraught loved ones, but there was something different about this case. Maybe it was Alexis's love for the band, maybe it was simply because Haley had been so young, but this case was getting to him.

"Sky." Beckett's voice was calm, but firm. How did she know exactly what to say, and how to say it? Sky spun around and fell, the bottle in her hand revealing just how drunk she was. Then Rick spotted the knife.

"Ow." Sky groaned as she presumably adjusted to her new position on the floor. Beckett reached out a hand to tell him to stay put, but it wasn't necessary; he wanted to see her work. Sky looked at her, then turned away before speaking again.

"What do you want 'cause I'm talking to my sister."

"I'm Detective Kate Beckett. I'd like to ask you a few questions if that's okay." Rick couldn't take his eyes off Sky, the woman radiated pain. But Beckett exuded confidence and authority; he could hear it in her voice and knew it was written all over her face, impossible to ignore. He would never understand how she could keep her cool in situations like this. It wasn't that he thought Sky was all that dangerous; sure she had a knife, but as drunk as she was it wouldn't be much of a challenge to disarm her. Rick was more interested in how Beckett kept Sky calm, removing physicality from the equation altogether.

"You're a cop?"

"Yeah." Beckett somehow made the blunt truth sound comforting. "Is that a knife?"

"Am I breaking the law?" Beckett nodded.

"Yeah."

"Bad?" Sky didn't look like she much cared one way or the other. Rick spared a glance at Beckett as she answered bluntly again.

"Pretty bad." Most people, he thought, would try to keep Sky happy, tell her she would be fine, sugarcoat the situation. But somehow Beckett understood that wasn't going to work with her. He marveled at her ability to read people as Sky pondered her next move.

She held the bottle and knife out and Beckett slowly approached her. Staying bent down at eye level with her, Beckett let her have her space and a few seconds to fully calm down. Rick had always loved how Beckett handled the horrifying job of talking to victims' families, but the way she treated Sky was fascinating. Instead of her usual soft-spoken empathy, she met Sky with stern silence that allowed her to vent, but also let her know who had the power.

"D'you wanna know a secret?" Sky asked as Beckett crouched passively in front of her, riding out her pain. "I think I might have killed her."

Rick's eyebrows rose in surprise. He'd seen Beckett get confessions before, but he hadn't been expecting this one.

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**AN 2:** So there you go, super short one. If I can manage, I'll have another up tomorrow, but we'll see.


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